Cash-register.



no. esmas. Patented Aug. 27, |9ol. L. EHRLICH.

CASH REGISTER.

(Application med Sept. 29, 1898.)

3 Sheats-Sheet l.

l; W n Ema.lwildmlHIH x Wurm IMMIW l iin (Ilo Model QX) o no. sa|,s33.

(lo Indem EHRLICH.

CASH REGISTER.

(Anuncian am up@ as, was.)

'Tnt nouns nvt. co,

Patented Aug. 27, I90I.

3 Shoah-Shut 2` No. 68|,633. Patented Aug. 27, I90l.

L. EHBLICH.

CASH REGISTER.

(Appximtinn ma u a9, was.) (In lcdll.) 3 Shoots-Sheet 3.

ATTORNEY ml Nouns uns co. morumo. wAmlNGYon. DA c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO EIIRLIOH, OF SI. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,633, dated August27, 1901. Application tiled September 29, 1898. Serial No. 692,179. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO EHRLICH, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certainnew and useful Improvement in Cash-Registers, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to the improvement of cash-registers, and hasparticular relation to improved means for resetting theamountregistering wheels of a cash-register back to zero or a desirablestarting-point.

The objects of my invention are to provide a simple, reliable, andeifective device of this class which will be adapted for use oncashregisters which employ a set of registeringwheels journaled ormounted upon a keyshaft, to so construct the same as to reset or returnthe wheels to a common starting-point in a simple and reliable manner,and to produce other improvements in details of construction andarrangement of parts, which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter.These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a face view of that portion of acash-register mechanism which contains the registering-wheels. Fig. 2 isa similar view showing the registering-wheels at the conclusion of theoperation of my improved resetting device. Fig. 3 is a sectional view online as a; of Fig. 1.` Fig. 4 is a similar view on line ezof Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is a detail view of a springactuated pawl which I employ in themanner hereinafter described, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view through thecasing and the operating parts.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the class of cash-registers to which my improvement applies one ormore sets of rogistering-wheels l and 2 are rotatably mounted upon ashaft 3, means being provided which are not herein shown and which donot form a part of my present invention for rotating said wheels thedesired distances. The registering-wheels I and 2 are provided withnumbered peripheries, each wheel containing the desired number or set ofnumbers or igures, each set running from O to 9, and each of said wheelsbeing provided on one side with projecting teeth 4, one of said teethbeing arranged opposite each number or figure thereon. As indicated at5, I provide the periphery of each of the registeringwheels atequidistant points thereon with projecting lips, the latter being, asshown, arranged between the sets or between the iirst figure of one setand the last figure of the adjoining set of numerals which are stampedor otherwise made to appear upon the wheelperiphery.

6 represents spring brake-strips which, as indicated in the drawings,are mounted to depend from a transverse frame-rod 7 which extendsbetween the upper portions of framestandards 8. One of these springbrakestrips is, as shown, provided for each of the wheels I, and thelower ends thereof are adapted to engage with the teeth of said wheelsand prevent the latter from reversed rotation.

In the class of cash-registers to which my invention applies it has beencommon to rotate the registering-wheels by the engagement of the fingerwith the teeth 4 or lip projections 5 until the naught on each wheelappears immediately below and in front of the brake spring 6, whichengages therewith. The means which I employ for this purpose may bedescribed as follows.

Upon the shaft 3 I fulcrum adjacent to each of the registering-wheels abell-crank lever 9, the latter having its forward and longer arm lOextending, as indicated more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4l, slightly beyondthe peripheries of said registering-wheels. On the outer end of each ofthese bell-crank arms l0 I fulcrum an elongated pawl 11, the lower edgeportion of which is adapted to engage with the projecting lips 5 of theadjoining registering-wheel. This pawl is normally pressed inwardly orrearwardly, and thus retained in the path of said lips through themedium of a spring-strip 12, secured to the arm IO and having its outerhook-shaped end portion bearing against the forward face of the pawl.

Extending transversely between the framestandards 8 of the machine andopposite the lower portions of the registering-wheels is a rod or shaft13, upon which is mounted to turn the lower sleeve-shaped portion 14. 0fa plate or lever 15. WVith the plate-sleeve I4 I form a short arm 16,and at intervals on IOO said sleeve are formed projecting arms 17, whichextend at right angles with the arm 16. The arms 17 are through themedium of bars or rods 18 jointedly connected with the respective arms10a of the bell-cranks 9. Pivoted to the outer end of the arm 16 is thelower end of an upwardly-extending and inwardly-inclined rod 19, theupper portion of which passes loosely through an opening in a fixedprojection 20 of the transverse framerod 7. The rod 19 is provided witha shoulder portion 22, and between the latter and the under side of theprojection 20 said rod is surrounded by a coiled spring 23. This rodlies on one side of the line drawn from the opening in the projection.2O to the shaft 13 when the lever 15 is in one position and upon theother side when the lever is in its other position. As will beunderstood, the tension of the spring 23 is thus exerted to hold thelever in either of its two extreme positions.

Extending between the frame-standards 8 -is a transverse framerod 24,against the outer side of which the upper portion of the plate or lever15 is adapted to bear. When said plate or lever 15 is in the elevatedpositionshown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, it is obvious that thesame will be retained in contact with the rod 24 through the pressure ofthe spring-actuated rod 19 on the arm 16.

In registers of this class it is common to read the amounts registeredby the wheels at points immediately in front of the lower end portionsof the brake strips or pawls 6, and in order to so reset Itheregistering-wheels as to cause each of said wheels to display a cipherat the above-described reading-point the plate or lever 15 is pulledoutward and downward to the horizontal position indicated in Figs. 4 and2 of the drawings, resulting in a swinging movement being therebyimparted to the bell-cranks 9 and the consequent contact of the pawls 11and the next lower lips 5 of the wheels. The degree of rotary movementthus imparted to the registering-wheels is thus dependent upon thedegree of movement of the bell-crank arms 10, which is so limited as toinsure the stopping of the wheels at such points as to display theciphers or naughts thereon immediately in front of the brakestrips 6. Itwill thus be seen that where the registering-wheels are provided withnumbers arranged in sets running from O7 to 9, inclusive, and the lips 5are caused to project, as shown, between said sets the one downwardmovement of the plate or lever 15 will result in all the Wheels beingreset to zero or naught at the end of any desired time or prior to thebeginning of the new registration. In

case, however,the numbers on the peripheries of theregistering-wheels,as shown on the registering-wheel 2 at the extremeleft in the drawings,should number from O to 100 or to other multiplesof ten the operation of throwing down the lever 15 may be repeated asufficient number of times to bring the naught thereon to the desiredpoint.'

While I have generally referred to the part 15 as a lever, it may, asshown in the drawings, consists of a broad plate extending over thefront -portions of allthe registers. When so constructed, it forms aninner door, covering the registers, and serves as a guard to the same.When it is opened, as shown in Fig. 4, the entire series of registers,if it is a department machine, are automatically and simultaneouslyreset to zero. By reference to Fig. 6 it will be seen that this innerdoor is opposite the main door 25 of the casing 26 of the machine. Abovethe rod 24 there is secured a shield-plate 27, which prevents access tothe registers above this door. It will thus be seen that the registercan only be reached by opening the plate 15 and that with thisconstruction it becomes impossible for any one to open the machine tochange the registers Without moving all the register-wheels and soaltering the previous registration that the proprietor will know thatthe machine has been tampered with. It thus becomes the proprietorsdetector, for while the registervwheels cannot be reached withoutopening the door any movement of the same which is sufficient to permita manipulation of a register will move all the wheels of all theregisters,and thereby show an attempt to defraud.

Although I have shown my improvement as used in connection with two setsof registering-wheels, such as are employed in what are known asdepartment cash-registers, it is obvious that my device is adapted foruse in connection with any desired number of registering-wheels, whetherthe same be arranged singly or in sets.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine of the character described, a register, a movable guardfor said register, and means for setting the register to zero when theguard is moved.

2. In a machine of the character described, a series of registers, amovable guard for the same, and means connected with said guard forsimultaneously setting all the registers to zero.

3. In a machine of the character described, a series of registers, andmeans for causing -all the registers to detect'any attempt made tofraudulently manipulate any of the same.

4. In a cash-register, the combination with the framework,registering-Wheels journaled therein having numbers on theirperipheries, and lip projections arranged at intervals on said wheels,of swinging arms, pawls carried on said swinging arms and adapted toengage with said lip projections and means for simultaneously movingsaid swinging arms predetermined and corresponding distances,

substantially as and for the purpose specified.

IIO

5. In a cash-register, the combination with the framework,registering-wheels journaled therein, said registering-wheels havingperipheral numbers arranged in sets comprising figures from l to 10, andlip projections between said sets, of a fulorumed bellcrank lever foreach of said wheels, a springactuated pawl carried on one arm of each ofsaid levers and supported in the path of said lip projections, afulcrnmed lever and a jointed connection between said lever andbellcrank, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a cash-register, the Combination with the framework, a shaftsupported therein, and registering-Wheels journaled on said shaft, saidregistering wheels having numbered peripheries and lips projecting atintervals therefrom, of bell-crank levers journaled on said shaft, pawlscarried on said bell-cranks and supported in the paths of saidWheel-lips, a spring-actuated fnlcrumed lever 15 and a jointedconnection between the latter and the inner arm of said bell-crank,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. 1n a cash-register, the combination with the framework, a shaftsupported therein, registering-Wheels rotatably mounted on said shaft,said registering-Wheels having numbered peripheries and lip projectionsat intervals thereon, of bell-cranks 9 fulcrumed on said shaft, one armof each of said bellcranks carrying a pawl on its outer portion, thelatter being supported in the path of the projecting lips of theadjacent registering- Wheel, a fulcrumed lever 15, arms 17 projecting atintervals from the latter, said arms 17 having a jointed connectionrespectively with the inner arms of the bell-cranks 9, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

LEO EHRLIOH.

In presence of- W. PALMER CLARKsoN, GEO. J. WENDEL.

